Loyalists involved in targeting the cross-community Alliance party in a series of arsons and attacks on homes have been accused of putting the life of a young child at risk.

Stephen Farry, an Alliance minister in Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive, warned on Thursday that the protest campaign against Alliance's support for the end of a policy of flying the union flag at Belfast city hall 365 days a year was going to end in lives being lost.

Farry said an attack on the home of Alliance members Christine and Michael Bower had endangered the life of their toddler. He also confirmed that loyalists had attacked his constituency office in Bangor, Co Down.

On Wednesday evening the Police Service of Northern Ireland had to fire baton rounds to disperse a mob of up to 1,000 loyalists in Carrickfergus, East Antrim after the local Alliance constituency office there was set alight.

Loyalists have attacked Alliance personnel, driving members from their homes and torching their offices after the party voted in favour of removing the union flag from the top of Belfast city hall on Monday night.

The Alliance party holds the balance of power on Belfast city council and managed to secure what the party believed was a compromise by flying the union flag only on designated days, such as the Queen's birthday.

After a third night of violence directed at the party, Farry stated: "I can confirm that there was an attempted arson attack on my constituency office in Bangor on Wednesday evening.

"Petrol or some other accelerant was poured over my shutters by a number of people. Fortunately, they were interrupted by a passing police patrol and fled the scene. This attack coincides with an attack on the house of my local political colleagues Christine and Michael Bower, which put the life of a toddler at risk, and the arson attack on my assembly colleague Stewart Dickson."

Dickson's office was burned down during rioting in Carrickfergus in which several police officers were also hurt.

The PSNI confirmed on Thursday that it was examining social network sites to investigate any level of orchestration or co-ordination in the protests and attacks on Alliance members and regional offices.

Two men and two women have been arrested. A 20-year-old woman is due to appear in court to face charges in connection with the Carrickfergus disorder.

Northern Ireland's justice minister and Alliance leader, David Ford, has demanded the recall of the Stormont assembly to discuss this week's violence and intimidation. Alliance has accused mainstream unionist politicians of winding up hardline loyalists and then stepping away from the trouble as it becomes increasingly violent.